Biopharmaceutical firm UCB SA (UCB) on Tuesday said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Neupro (Rotigotine Transdermal System) for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of advanced stage idiopathicParkinson's disease, or PD, and as a treatment for moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome, or RLS.

Neupro was previously approved by the FDA for the signs and symptoms of early stage idiopathic PD. It is is a dopamine agonist patch that provides continuous drug delivery for patients with PD and RLS. The FDA has also approved UCB's new formulation of Neupro.

The precise mechanism of action of Neupro as a treatment for these diseases is unknown. As a PD treatment, Neupro's mechanism of action is thought to be related to its ability to stimulate dopamine receptors within the caudate-putamen, the region of the brain that regulates movement.

In RLS, the mechanism of action of Neupro may be related to its ability to stimulate dopamine receptors.